The pious parade
out in the rain of stale pollen
beneath the blossoming of
elation’s wilt

sword and hilt my flesh enslaved
eyes sun swollen ablaze
as Im lifted from my grave
towards their river of rebirth

my nails dig into hallowed earth
scraping breaking on their rock
bloodstained peter releases me into the water
and I am consumed by the currents conversion

suffocating conformity and the weight of aversion
I sink into the bed of detritus
this is the pale kingdom of scavengers
where celestial luminance but shimmers in the cool ethereal murk

I am like an atom not a quirk
I shall not salvage in chains
the wreckage of an empire
in this fountain of flowing pain

wane and bloodied Christ save me
bright blooming Buddha enlighten me
Osiris awaken the lapsing Pharos
to slay the chaos and flood the Nile

it’s not denial
if you admit you’re a leper with vertigo
your puss rusting your unbalanced iron infrastructure
prophets puppets demagogs shepherding lies

I break my ties and arise from these depths
bursting from the blurry skin of the waters
leviathan shadow I am the phoenix lamp
the light that shall cast you out of me

yours truly,
Stephen John Jeffries